Detours: This Blog Is About To Get More Interesting!

It would figure that my 200th post would turn out to be a bigger deal than I thought it would. To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the 200th post, almost as much as I am by the upcoming 1 year anniversary of this blog. However, as I've learned many times over the course of my life, things always fall into place. Turns out, my 200th post would coincide perfectly with an event that is going to change our lives and the content of this blog in a huge way.

The Back On Two Wheels house is going on an adventure! The husband, myself, the dog, Cat 1, Cat 2, the Schwinn Varsity, The Redline Conquest, The Trek FX, The Diamondback Outlook, The Raleigh Mountain Bike (the model of which I cannot recall at this time), and perhaps a new road bike will all be moving out of Akron "The Rubber City," Ohio, USA!

Sorry about the blurriness, but this little document says that my husband will be beginning a long term assignment in Luxembourg on January 1, 2012.

That's right, Luxembourg- the last Grand Duchy in the world, the resting place of General George S. Patton, home to the brothers Schleck. Though only the size of the state of Rhode Island, it's one of the coolest countries in the world.

They speak German, French, Luxembourgish, and thankfully English (we both took Spanish). The food has both French and German influences, so yum. Like the rest of Europe, they have an amazing public transportation system. For example, you can get to Paris from the capital via the train in 2-2.5 hours. Its in the heart of Europe so we'll be able to do weekend trips to much of the continent.

But, you know what the best part about moving there is?

The cycling.

All you have to do is visit the tourism bureau website to see "Lux" loves bicycles and cyclists. In fact, the entire country is crisscrossed with 575 km (thats about 357mi) of the National Cycle Network which is completely separate from the roads.

So, while we are over there we will be riding in a place that treats cycling differently than the way Akron does. While we've been struggling with negativity and a severe lack of support here in Akron, Lux will be the complete opposite. It's mind blowing, really.

We are extremely blessed and grateful. We are thrilled.

So, what are the next three months going to look like and what is this huge move going to entail?

Well, first of all, this is why I'm suddenly going to have more hours in my day to ride my bike. My last day of employment is next Friday. In the next few weeks or so my husband and I will flying over for a week to look for an apartment and get a lay of the land. He's been there a couple of times and has an idea of where would be best for us (he's narrowed it down to about three towns). We just need to see what rentals are available and how much room we'll be working with. Then, we'll come home and decide what will stay here in storage and what will be coming with us. Then, The Company will get our house on the market (anyone looking for a historic 3 bedroom on the West Side with "charm"? I swear the bat thing was just a fluke). They'll send movers who will pack everything up for us. Some of it, like the furniture and kitchen stuff, will be shipped by boat probably mid-November. The stuff we need, like our clothes and two bikes, will be shipped by plane. We will probably be moving around Christmas so he can begin his new position the first of the year. Seeing as how October is fast approaching, there isn't much time to get all of this done. So, that is why I will no longer be working. When I'm not getting the house ready for sale and our stuff organized for the move, I will be riding my butt off to get in decent shape for the "relatively rugged topography" of Luxembourg.

In Lux, we will go back to renting (whew!). We're selling our cars here and will only get one over there for the Mr.'s work. I will be, essentially, car free. We hope to live in one of the larger towns closer to The Company so he can be car light. Unlike Akron, there is pedestrian only city centre in all the larger communities. This is where all the shops and restaurants are. It is completely accessible by foot and bike. Gone will be the days I have to carefully think out my errand running so I can do it by bike. I'll just be able to hop on and go.

A view of Luxembourg City's centre.

Another advantage for the car-free folk is the climate. Unlike Northeast Ohio, the weather of Luxembourg is quite mild. They have warmer winters with less snow and cooler summers. Because it is further north, the summer nights are longer. The only downside is that the winter days are shorter and they get a little more rain in the spring. But, that's what headlights and fenders are for!

Our assignment is for three years. After that, the road may lead back to Akron or off to somewhere else. We're going to roll with it. You only live once, right? I'm really looking forward to experiencing everything our new home has to offer.

I'm really looking forward to sharing the journey with you!